In a continuing effort to improve the quality of fresh market and shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine and peach seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree (Prunus persica), which has been denominated varietally as `GRAND CANDY`. The present variety was hybridized in 1992, grown as a seedling on its own root in the greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was developed as a first generation cross using Ruby Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,918) nectarine as the selected seed parent and an unnamed nectarine as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of Nemaguard Rootstock (unpatented), the standard of the stone fruit industry in central California, upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is most similar to Fire Sweet (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,961) nectarine, by producing fruit that is full red in skin color, yellow in flesh color, clingstone in type, subacidic and sweet in flavor, and firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by having globose instead of reniform glands and by producing fruit that matures about ten days earlier and that has less red streaking in the flesh.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, Ruby Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,918) nectarine, by producing firm, full red, yellow flesh, nectarines, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is clingstone instead of freestone in type, that is subacidic instead of acidic in flavor, and that matures about twelve days later.